Stephanie

My friend’s mom passed away Sunday morning. I could not have been more shocked or sad. No one is sure yet why she died, which I think makes it even harder to deal with and accept. She was so young, and so alive. She was one of those woman that you want to be like when you grow up… fun, cool, kind, loving. Her daughters called her Honey Mommy. She really was that sweet. The last time I saw her was at the blessing of her brand new little granddaughter Presley just before she died. I’m sure Presley would have known her as Grandma Honey.

I can’t imagine how people face moments like this without the knowledge of the gospel. If this was it, if she were just taken from us, forever, with no explanations or promise or hope it would be devestating. Even knowing we will see her again it’s still heartbreaking to lose her. I can’t wait to see her again.

♥

People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive. It is as though they were traveling abroad.
Marcel Proust

Death is not putting out the light. It is extinguishing the lamp because the dawn has come.
Rabindranath Tagore

Stephanie

My friend’s mom passed away Sunday morning. I could not have been more shocked or sad. No one is sure yet why she died, which I think makes it even harder to deal with and accept. She was so young, and so alive. She was one of those woman that you want to be like when you grow up… fun, cool, kind, loving. Her daughters called her Mommy Honey. She really was that sweet. The last time I saw her was at the blessing of her brand new little granddaughter Presley just before she died. I’m sure Presley would have known her as Grandma Honey.

I can’t imagine how people face moments like this without the knowledge of the gospel. If this was it, if she were just taken from us, forever, with no explanations or promise or hope it would be devestating. Even knowing we will see her again it’s still heartbreaking to lose her. I can’t wait to see her again.

♥

People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive. It is as though they were traveling abroad.
Marcel Proust

Death is not putting out the light. It is extinguishing the lamp because the dawn has come.
Rabindranath Tagore

Stephanie

My friend’s mom passed away Sunday morning. I could not have been more shocked or sad. No one is sure yet why she died, which I think makes it even harder to deal with and accept. She was so young, and so alive. She was one of those woman that you want to be like when you grow up… fun, cool, kind, loving. Her daughters called her Mommy Honey. She really was that sweet. The last time I saw her was at the blessing of her brand new little granddaughter Presley just before she died. I’m sure Presley would have known her as Grandma Honey.

I can’t imagine how people face moments like this without the knowledge of the gospel. If this was it, if she were just taken from us, forever, with no explanations or promise or hope it would be devestating. Even knowing we will see her again it’s still heartbreaking to lose her. I can’t wait to see her again.

♥

People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive. It is as though they were traveling abroad.
Marcel Proust

http://widget-04.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf

Death is not putting out the light. It is extinguishing the lamp because the dawn has come.
Rabindranath Tagore

(photo borrowed from Jen Gotch)
One evening exactly 12 years ago today I was baptized into the LDS Church. I can’t decide if that feels like a long time ago or not.

When I was in high school I met a girl named Michelle while we were doing a production of Annie. At some point she gave me a Book of Mormon and told me that “Nephi was hot.” I didn’t know what a Nephi was but kept the book and looked through it a little. The next year I took an art class and shared a work space with Laurette and Nikki and I knew they were Mormon. I remember I asked them once if they believed in God. I can’t remember which but one of them replied that the name of the church was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so yes, they believed in God and Jesus. I replied that I was just wondering. I really was just wondering.

A few years later when I’d graduated from high school and was going to school in Santa Barbara I ran into some missionaries. It was sort of a “typical” encounter I guess. They stopped me on campus and I was late for a drama class and said I didn’t have time to stop and talk and off I hurried. I didn’t get very far before I decided to turn around and talk to them for a minute and give them my phone number. I don’t want to sound corny by saying something like I felt like it was something I had to do or that I somehow sensed it was important but maybe on some level I did.

In an effort to keep this short I won’t go into details but I met with Elders Hodges and Alldredge over a period of several months and they taught me about the church and I asked probably a million questions. It’s hard to describe what I felt and what I thought during those months because it’s a time that is very dear to my heart and I don’t think I could do the experience justice.

And I don’t want to say that I “believed” the missionaries because it really had nothing to do with them. But I knew what they were telling me was the truth. Some of the things I already believed and knew. Some things I had to find out for myself. After much soul-searching and prayer I decided to be baptized.

That was December 31, 1996. It’s hard to say how my life would be different had if I hadn’t joined the Church, but I can say with all honesty that every good thing in my life has come from being able to know who I am and the plan my Heavenly Father has for me. It was a big change to make – not that there were things that I had to stop doing but more that there were things I needed to start doing and thinking about. If there is one decision in my life that I’ve never had to second guess or wonder if I’d done the right thing it is this.

“If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world”
C.S. Lewis

There’s a lot more I could say but it’s New Year’s Eve! Peace out 2008!!

(photo borrowed from Jen Gotch)
One evening a few years ago today I was baptized into the LDS Church. I can’t decide if it feels like a long time ago or not.

When I was in high school I met a girl named Michelle while we were doing a production of Annie. At some point she gave me a Book of Mormon and told me that “Nephi was hot.” I didn’t know what a Nephi was but kept the book and looked through it a little. The next year I took an art class and shared a work space with Laurette and Nikki and I knew they were Mormon. I remember I asked them once if they believed in God. I can’t remember which but one of them replied that the name of the church was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so yes, they believed in God and Jesus. I replied that I was just wondering. I really was just wondering.

A few years later when I’d graduated from high school and was going to school in Santa Barbara I ran into some missionaries. It was sort of a “typical” encounter I guess. They stopped me on campus and I was late for a drama class and said I didn’t have time to stop and talk and off I hurried. I didn’t get very far before I decided to turn around and talk to them for a minute and give them my phone number. I don’t want to sound corny by saying something like I felt like it was something I had to do or that I somehow sensed it was important but maybe on some level I did.

In an effort to keep this short I won’t go into details but I met with Elders Hodges and Alldredge over a period of several months and they taught me about the church and I asked probably a million questions. It’s hard to describe what I felt and what I thought during those months because it’s a time that is very dear to my heart and I don’t think I could do the experience justice.

And I don’t want to say that I “believed” the missionaries because it really had nothing to do with them. But I knew what they were telling me was the truth. Some of the things I already believed and knew. Some things I had to find out for myself. After much soul-searching and prayer I decided to be baptized.

That was December 31, 1996. It’s hard to say how my life would be different had if I hadn’t joined the Church, but I can say with all honesty that every good thing in my life has come from being able to know who I am and the plan my Heavenly Father has for me. It was a big change to make – not that there were things that I had to stop doing but more that there were things I needed to start doing and thinking about. If there is one decision in my life that I’ve never had to second guess or wonder if I’d done the right thing it is this.

“If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world”
C.S. Lewis

There’s a lot more I could say but it’s New Year’s Eve! Peace out 2008!!

well I think it’s well earned at least. :o)

I’m planning a trip to England for March 2-11. I’m really excited because it will be three years since I moved back to the states. But I’m still trying to find a good deal. So far the contenders are:

Air France: $604 (yowzers!)
Air New Zealand: $675
Virgin Atlantic: $698

The Virgin flight is direct and has the best times. Air New Zealand is also direct but the times are not my favorite. Air France is a steal! I’d have a layover in Paris but for that cheap I’ll probably do it.

Anyone want to come with me?

I am starting my list of things I want to do (you know how I love making lists!) or I’ll never get fit it all in to one little week.

Spend lots and lots of time with the White Family
(this will probably include trips to Zoom, Odds Farm, Flowerland, etc)
Visiting old friends
Going to The Ferry- look how pretty:
Walking around Marlow
Seeing a show in London
(I’ve seen Les Mis but I loved it so much I’d see it again!)
Looking around Covent Garden and Camden Town
Have lunch with friends at Canela
Swimming at Amersham with the kiddies
Getting a big hot chocolate at Costa Coffee- like this:
(only they can leave the Smarties off mine thankyouverymuch)
Ride on the London Eye
Selfridges!
Go dancing with friends
(yes I’ll go dancing… don’t laugh!)
Buy new pens, etc at Muji
…

I’ll add to this as I go. Of course I could easily toss this whole list out the window and spend the whole time with Sean, Tara and Erin. I do love them!

well I think it’s well earned at least. :o)

I’m planning a trip to England for March 2-11. I’m really excited because it will be three years since I moved back to the states. But I’m still trying to find a good deal. So far the contenders are:

Air France: $604 (yowzers!)
Air New Zealand: $675
Virgin Atlantic: $698

The Virgin flight is direct and has the best times. Air New Zealand is also direct but the times are not my favorite. Air France is a steal! I’d have a layover in Paris but for that cheap I’ll probably do it.

Anyone want to come with me?

I am starting my list of things I want to do (you know how I love making lists!) or I’ll never get fit it all in to one little week.

Spend lots and lots of time with the White Family
(this will probably include trips to Zoom, Odds Farm, Flowerland, etc)
Visiting old friends
Going to The Ferry- look how pretty:
Walking around Marlow
Seeing a show in London
(I’ve seen Les Mis but I loved it so much I’d see it again!)
Looking around Covent Garden and Camden Town
Have lunch with friends at Canela
Swimming at Amersham with the kiddies
Getting a big hot chocolate at Costa Coffee- like this:
(only they can leave the Smarties off mine thankyouverymuch)
Ride on the London Eye
Selfridges!
Go dancing with friends
(yes I’ll go dancing… don’t laugh!)
Buy new pens, etc at Muji
…

I’ll add to this as I go. Of course I could easily toss this whole list out the window and spend the whole time with Sean, Tara and Erin. I do love them!

(sorry Billie, I stole your word but it was the only one that fit!)

I am usually so careful to sign out of my email/blog/facebook before I leave work and I always clear the history because I don’t really want my co-workers reading my blog.

Well I forgot to do just that on Saturday. And this morning this creepy creepstar comes in and was talking about stuff I’d said on my blog and commenting on funny things you guys had written on my blog.

YUCK!!!

I don’t ever write anything super private or anything but still.

So this morning I was desperately trying to think of something cute/classy/funny/pretty to name my blog and all I got was this:

pois rouge

It means “red pea” and is the name of this plant:

(sorry Billie, I stole your word but it was the only one that fit!)

I am usually so careful to sign out of my email/blog/facebook before I leave work and I always clear the history because I don’t really want my co-workers reading my blog.

Well I forgot to do just that on Saturday. And this morning this creepy creepstar comes in and was talking about stuff I’d said on my blog and commenting on funny things you guys had written on my blog.

YUCK!!!

I don’t ever write anything super private or anything but still.

So this morning I was desperately trying to think of something cute/classy/funny/pretty to name my blog and all I got was this:

pois rouge

It means “red pea” and is the name of this plant:

I got the holiday flu! It has not been fun- I’ve missed a whole week of work (well I went in on Friday and only lasted for about 90 minutes) and I also missed all of our Christmas fun. Lame!

My week has consisted of the following:

:NyQuil:
(of course)

:Chicken noodle soup:

:cough drops:

:Mint Tea:
(yes I actually picked the mint growing like crazy outside my door and made my own)

:Naked Juice:
(Green Machine- full of blue green algae, apples, kiwi, banana, broccoli, mango, garlic, spinach, etc.)

:Movies:
(mainly watching the new Pride and Prejudice)

(mainly wishing it was the old Pride and Prejudice… Colin Firth is Mr. Darcy)

:Books:
I’m really into this book right now!

This is a silly little book but an easy read when you’re sick, bored, etc.

:trying to learn French:
(honestly I don’t know how people learn another language without the MTC. Maybe the fever is shrinking my brain)

:Harlow:
(I think she was confused by me being home all day)

:Lying in bed:
(99.9% of my week)

… and you know, making really long lists…

I’d like a do-over on Christmas!